'100% tomorrow seems impossible' - Red Bull issues warning over Evenepoel

The stage itself offered a softer examination than expected. Strong winds forced organisers to remove the summit finish, turning what should have been a decisive mountain test into a controlled run towards Camprodón. For Evenepoel, it became a chance to stay out of trouble and feel his way back into the race.

He did more than just survive. Remco Evenepoel looked to move comfortably through the peloton, stayed attentive at key moments and picked up three bonus seconds at an intermediate sprint.

Before the start, he had already indicated there was no serious damage from the crash. “If there had been anything on the scans, I would have stopped with the Ardennes Classics in mind,” he said to Het Nieuwsblad. “But everything was good. My back feels a bit stiff and I still have some pain in my elbow, but I feel ready to go.”

Even so, there was clear frustration about how the incident had happened. Evenepoel pointed to poor signalling and questioned the safety of recent finishes. “That hole I rode into yesterday was badly indicated and I heard other riders were also surprised,” he said. “A roundabout at 400 metres to go is not really of this time anymore. Today there’s even one at 150 metres from the finish. Maybe someone needs to take a better look at these finales.”

He chose not to speak after the stage, but the assessment from the team was cautiously positive. “Making it through the day was the most important thing,” said sports director Klaas Lodewyck to Het Nieuwsblad. “He still had some pain, but overall it was fine. He didn’t complain on the radio.”

Patxi Villa, performance coach of the team, went a step further in framing the day as a first hurdle cleared. “Everything went okay, so this is already a victory.”

Still, neither was prepared to suggest that Evenepoel is back to full strength. Experience within the team points to a delayed reaction after crashes, rather than an immediate one.

“Normally the hardest moment comes 48 hours after a crash,” Villa said. “To be 100 percent already tomorrow? That seems impossible.”

Over the next three days, the Volta a Catalunya will be decided across three demanding stages featuring plenty of climbing. Evenepoel conceded a place in the GC today to Tom Pidcock through bonus seconds, but remains third overall.